Mirage Nanosat 5.1 review:
Mirage Nanosat 5.1

We'd recommend using the Nanosat 5.1 system with a receiver that allows for adjustable subwoofer crossover settings (some receivers are fixed at 80 or 100 Hartz). Mirage doesn't offer a specific crossover setting, so we set ours to 120 Hz.

Performance
With the room lights turned off, the system's five satellites literally disappear as sources of sound. With conventional box speakers, you can always tell where the sound is coming from, but this isn't the case with the Nanosat speakers. Their sound bouncing/reflecting technology creates a truly immersive, room-filling sound. In the midsize CNET listening room, we certainly didn't feel the need to use a 7.1 channel array to complete the front-to-back, wraparound soundstage.

That said, some listeners may find that the system's imaging lacks focus. For one, it's softer than the Definitive Technology ProCinema 800 satellite/subwoofer system--a unit in which imaging can be pinpoint specific.

Watching the "From The Basement" music DVD, we found the sound quality to be well above average. When Sonic Youth performed a couple of tunes, we not only heard the sound of the instruments, but also the band actually filling the "basement" they were performing in. The three channels in front of us produced remarkable depth and dimension. This was even more apparent with PJ Harvey's quieter acoustic music.

Action films didn't deter our delight with the system, as the bellowing and car-tossing antics in "King Kong" had plenty of oomph. We attribute some of that to the Nanosat 5.1 system's spot-on satellite and subwoofer blend. Not once could we hear the subwoofer as a separate sound source. While the system's tonal balance is on the warm side of neutral, it handily avoids the thin, cool sound we've heard from some of the smaller systems in the past.

We enjoyed listening to the system in stereo, but like the smaller Mirage MX 5.1 system, the speakers don't do such a great job localizing stereo images. Phantom center sounds, such as vocals, played out rather vague. That said, we did find the stereo image width spread wider than the actual locations of the left and right front speakers. Also, we found that the larger Nanosat system sounds better than the smaller MX system when played at higher volumes.

The Mirage Nanosat 5.1 system really shines with its surround-sound performance. The way it creates an immersive, wraparound soundstage can't be replicated by similarly priced box speaker systems. In addition, the Nanosat 5.1 has a sweet, refined sound that's easy to listen to over extended periods of time.

For the money, the Mirage Nanosat 5.1 is one of the best "lifestyle" satellite/subwoofer systems we've heard. While it's a steal at $800, those looking for small-but-great-sounding 5.1 systems should also check out the Energy Take Classic, which is available for just $400. Just don't expect it to replicate the omnidirectional sound of the Nanosat.

Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Home Theater, Inner Fidelity, Tone Audio, and Stereophile.
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